Vol. 522 No. 2
403 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if all Garda stations will be equipped with proper screening facilities to ensure that people who are asked to identify possible suspects of crime are themselves protected from identification; the number of Garda stations in the country which have these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18231/00]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the conduct of formal identification parades was recently the subject of review by them in conjunction with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The procedure was updated to allow a witness to identify a suspect by means of pointing to the suspect's position in the parade and stating his or her position, or stating the number which has been assigned to the suspect. It is no longer necessary for a witness to approach and place his or her hand on the suspect's shoulder. There are no current plans to equip Garda stations with screening facilities of the type referred to by the Deputy.
